Question Re: Poor eBay seller support!!! AGAIN!! in Member To Member Support DO NOT DELETE

Poor eBay seller support!!! AGAIN!!

phc_refurbs — Sun, 21 Mar 2021 10:22:01 GMT

Hi all. I sold a Dell ALL In One computer and once the seller recieved the item he left feedback and sent me a personal message thanking me of the item and enclosed a image of the actual machine working on his desk. Several weeks later he sends me a message saying the screen has had to be replaced as he damaged it and the replacement screen has a line down it. At this point i was somwehat concered because clearly the machine has been tampered with. Anyway, I responded with "send the item back and i'll take a look, if I cant sort it out i'll refund you" - not happy with that but i thought i'd try, Anyway another week passed and nothing then the seller informs me he's sold parts from the machine and he's got his money back that way so all is good. Then opens a returns case and sends me back literally the plastic casing of the machine and ebay has now refunded him £279.99. I contacted ebay and they are saying, because they have no idea what I sent him the first place, they had no choice to issue a refund on valid tracking return details? is this correct? So to sum it up, the seller sold the machine off in parts, then sends me back a plastic shell (no screen, no motherboard, no processor, no ram, no ssd, nothing except a shell and ebay refund him in full? Surely this can't be right? Ive presented all the evidence to ebay but apparently there decision is final!! Ive contacted trading standards in my area and am waiting for them to get back to me. Can anyone please shed some light on this as i feel now that anyone can buy anything on ebay, simply return a pile of **bleep** and ebay refund it!!

Re: Poor eBay seller support!!! AGAIN!!

pixiesen2012 — Sun, 21 Mar 2021 10:28:28 GMT

trading on a private account and therefore not paying the correct fees or giving your buyers their legal rights

yet you expect ebay to give you the protection that correctly registered businesses get?

you should get your own account in order before going to trading standards about ebay!

Re: Poor eBay seller support!!! AGAIN!!

red_magpie — Sun, 21 Mar 2021 10:42:34 GMT

Numerous sellers have posted here about cases where buyers have allegedly returned items that they have damaged, switched for parts or even swapped for a different item.

Several have told us that eBay's response was that as they didn't see the item the seller delivered, or the item the buyer returned, "they are not in a position to take sides and verify who has the valid complaint".

In every case, eBay's idea of not taking sides was to find in the buyer's favour, and require the seller to refund them!

I doubt whether trading standards will be able to help you, just as I doubt that you would win a case in court against eBay. Everything here is giverned by the user agreement, in which we have all agreed to accept eBay's decisions on disputes.

EBay has reportedly told sellers privately, that: "Our advice to all sellers on site is to be set up for the possibility that returns of a faulty nature may happen, while it is unlikely it is a risk associated with selling online and the costs associated should be built into your selling plans. I compare it to how the high street stores have a budget put aside for theft, damage or items being returned in a lesser condition then sent."

This rather misses the point that no high street store would refund a buyer who returned an item that had been stripped for parts, or swapped for a completely different one.

Re: Poor eBay seller support!!! AGAIN!!

plpmr — Sun, 21 Mar 2021 10:46:56 GMT

adding to pixiesen2012 good advice -

As you are a business seller trading as a private seller in violation of eBay rules and the law, your buyers have virtually unlimited Rights and factually you have no where to turn.

Re: Poor eBay seller support!!! AGAIN!!

redwick1 — Sun, 21 Mar 2021 10:55:27 GMT

Once the case is closed on ebay then there is nothing else can be done and they almost always go with the buyer. Have you checked their feedback to see what it says. Have you checked their listings to see what they have sold.

I would wait until Citizens advice get back to you but I guess it would mean taking private legal action against them.

You could depending on what Citizens advice say report to action fraud but that would not get your money back

Dont be tempted to leave a negative comment on a positive feedback as sellers are not allowed to leave negatives for buyers.

|I agree with the others that you are a business and should be registered as such